Some of Lisa's Tips |
ReadingEnglish-language learners can improve their reading skills by reading regularly, especially university textbooks or other materials that cover a variety of subject areas (e .g ., sciences, social sciences, arts, business, etc .) and are written in an academic style . A wide variety of academic texts are available on the Internet as well as in magazines and journals.
Reading to Find Information
Reading for Basic Comprehension
Listening Listening to the English language frequently and reading a wide variety of academic materials is the best way to improve listening skills . Watching movies and television, and listening to the radio provide excellent opportunities to build listening skills . Audiotapes and CDs of lectures and presentations are equally valuable and are available at libraries and bookstores . Those with transcripts are particularly helpful . The Internet is also a great resource for listening material
RECOMMENDED LISTENING ONLINE: www.npr.org www.bbc.co.uk/radio www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish Listening for Basic Comprehension
Listening for Pragmatic Understanding
Listening to Connect and Synthesize
SpeakingThe best way to practice speaking is with native speakers of English . If you do not live in an English-speaking country, finding native speakers of English might be quite challenging . In some countries, there are English-speaking tutors or assistants who help students with conversation skills and overall communication skills . It is critical to find them and speak with them as often as possible . Another way to practice speaking is by joining an English club whose members converse in English about movies, music, and travel . If a club does not exist in your area, start one and invite native speakers to help you get started .
Writing How to write a University Essay: The structure of the American EssayWe teach you how to write in the format that your professors will expect. They expect to find information organized in a certain way. They want to see your THEME early. They want you to support your THEME with evidence that is convincing. They want you to conclude with a rich new explanation of your THEME.
They expect you to write original work, and give credit to every author or resource that you are drawing from. READING first to gather your evidence for your WRITING tasks: SummarizingYou have to know how to reduce to the most valuable points what you have read.
I will show you how to summarize the information and ideas in both the written and spoken portions . Paraphrasing
Pre-writing
Find your ThemeLook over those clumps of ideas. How are they linked? What important idea is coming up over and over again? That is your theme.
Find your Theme Training for Writing TasksFind a textbook that includes questions about the material at the end of chapters and practice writing answers to the questions .
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